Still Closed, Jacob's Pickles Is Raising Money for Fire-Displaced Neighbors

Owners of Jacob's Pickles have yet to reopen their popular neighborhood restaurants, but that isn't stopping them from raising money for neighbors displaced by a four-alarm fire that broke out in February. View Full Caption

DNAinfo/Emily Frost

UPPER WEST SIDE — While the doors to Jacob's Pickles remain closed, owners of the Southern-style eatery still have their arms open to the community.

The blaze that ripped through the five-story structure at 511 Amsterdam Ave. injured six firefighters and one civilian and left 19 families without housing, CBS New York reported. Fire marshals said the incident was caused by an electrical cord extension, according to Patch.

Jacob's Pickles also sustained water damage during the fire. The restaurant has been closed since, while workers replace the floor, ceiling and electrical wiring, a spokesman said. It plans to open as soon as possible, he said.

Management has meanwhile established a GoFundMe campaign to raise a total of $10,000 in donations. As of Sunday afternoon, the campaign had collected a total of $2,910.

Hadjigeorgis did not respond to request for comment on his fundraising initiatives.

The restaurant isn't the only neighborhood business to raise money on behalf of the fire's victims. Owners of e's Bar, which is located in the ground floor of the torched building and was also impacted by water damage, raised $12,635 through their own GoFundMe drive.

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